Canada has signed an agreement making it the first foreign buyer of the Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned air system (UAS).
One Blackjack system, which consists of five air vehicles, two ground control stations, and launch and recovery equipment, will be delivered to the Canadian Army in 2017, U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said Aug. 29.
The air vehicle, which is a larger, twin-tailed successor to Insitu’s ScanEagle, is eight feet long, has a 16-foot wingspan and has an endurance of up to 12 hours. It is used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are acquiring their own Blackjacks through their Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (STUAS) program office. Insitu, a Boeing [BA] subsidiary, has delivered seven systems to the Navy and Marines so far. Blackjack completed its first operational flight in early July and is on the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD-17) for its first shipboard deployment.
More foreign sales of Blackjack are possible. “Multiple countries have expressed interested in procuring Blackjack, and the program office continues to work with potential partners by responding to technical queries and responding to letters of request,” NAVAIR spokeswoman Jamie Cosgrove said.